


Love Potion Fail

by KingKay



Series: My Drarry Drabbles [24]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Behavior, Dorks in Love, Feelings Realization, Hogwarts Fourth Year, M/M, Severus Snape is So Done, always read the small print, love potions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-23
Updated: 2019-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:08:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21531844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KingKay/pseuds/KingKay
Summary: The potion was perfect, at least that’s what Malfoy said, but Harry isn’t convinced since he didn’t feel any different. His eyes roamed over Malfoy’s face from the soft locks of white-blond hair to his unbuttoned shirt collar….
Series: My Drarry Drabbles [24]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1434361
Comments: 14
Kudos: 128





	Love Potion Fail

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt
> 
> Harry: I’m telling you, Malfoy, you must have messed up.
> 
> Draco: Impossible! Even Granger couldn’t reach my level of accuracy with potions!
> 
> Harry: *shrugs and looks around the classroom* Well, everyone else got their love potion to work, and I don’t feel any different. You must be off your game.
> 
> Snape: …
> 
> Snape: * sighs and pinches the top of his nose*

Harry looked suspiciously at the vial in his hand, before glaring at Malfoy. The prat just raised a single eyebrow in reply as he crossed his arms to express his mild irritation at Harry stalling.

"I still don't understand why I have to drink it," he muttered darkly earning an eye roll from Malfoy. When his grey eyes fixed back onto Harry’s, they were as cold as steel and held a glint of silver.

"Because I did all the work making it, so you are going to test it. Stop complaining when I've just handed you a passing grade in potions, the first and last one you will probably ever get."

Harry shot Malfoy a dark look for his rude comment but didn't bother arguing with him. Unfortunately the git was right, and it was one of the reasons he hadn’t kicked up a fuss when they had been partnered together for this project. However, Harry still thought Snape was a sadist as he peeked through his fringe at Malfoy, his gaze drawn the curl of his lip as he pouted.

Once more, Harry looked at the vial in his hand, the pale pink liquid matched the description in the book, and not even Malfoy would attempt to poison him when surrounded by witnesses, right?

With one last groan of annoyance, he quickly drank the potion swallowing the lot in one gulp. It tasted strange, like a mixture between sweet and sour, and it felt warm. They had left the potion to cool before testing it, but Harry could feel it travelling down his throat into his body and setting in his gut where it sat comfortably heating him from the inside and stirring up the butterflies that had been flying around since he had taken his seat next to Malfoy.

With little choice he glanced over at Malfoy and waited for the potion to take effect. His mouth going dry as he wondered how much he was about to embarrass himself. He could feel his cheeks heating up as the seconds ticked by while he stared in silence at Malfoy, not feeling any different than usual.

"How long does this take to kick in?"

Malfoy’s eyes widened at Harry’s question, and a small gasp escaped his lips as the parted slightly before his brow then furrowed drawing together his pale eyebrows, and he leaned closer and studied Harry.

"It should start working as soon as you drink it. Are you trying to tell me it didn't work?"

The accusation in Malfoy's tone suggested that he didn't like the fact Harry was questioning his skill at potions. Harry shrugged in reply, setting his vial down on the desk. He was beginning to feel uncomfortable under his scrutiny and lifted a hand to straighten his glasses before swallowing and licking his lips.

"Well, I don't feel any different, and I'm certainly not in love with you. The potion must be faulty."

If looks could kill then the one Malfoy gave him would have done so. A low rage burned in his eyes as his jaw tensed, drawing more attention to the sharp angles of his jawline.

"Don't be daft, I could brew this in my sleep, and it would turn out perfect."

"Then why, oh great potion master is it not working," Harry mocked, his own irritation pulled out by Malfoy’s biting tone. A smile curled onto his face as Malfoy’s cheeks flushed, a pink dusting on his cheeks as the blood moved closer to the surface of his pale skin.

"Probably because you are a weirdo, incapable of feeling anything but self-assured arrogance."

Harry growled at Malfoy, the insult getting to him more than it should as his chest tightened and his hands closed into fists in his lap, crumpling his robe as he fought down the temptation to lash out physically.

"Well, you would know all about being arrogant. Fine, why don't you try it then and prove the potion works."

Malfoy crinkled his nose in disgust as he peered at the cauldron still filled with his love potion. As Harry watched, Malfoy drew his bottom lip into his mouth, worrying the peach coloured flesh until it deepened to a ruby red and shone with a thin layer of saliva.

With a shake of his head Harry refocused on the lesson and what they should be doing. He was about to call Malfoy a coward when he picked up a vial and filled it. Still he didn’t drink it right away holding it up to his narrowed eyes as he swirled the potion in the glass vial.

"Go on then," Harry said goading Malfoy a little as his patience waned.

"For Merlin's sake," Malfoy griped, but he swallowed down the potion with his eyes screwed shut. Slowly they opened to lock with Harry's, the pupils shrinking for a moment before adjusting to the torchlight.

"Well?" Harry asked, leaning closer which probably wasn't wise if the potion had worked. However he was captivated by the almost insecure expression on Malfoy’s face before his lips pressed into a thin line and the coldness returned to his icy gaze.

"What the bloody hell, did you do?" Harry jumped back at the barked words and had to grab the desk to prevent himself falling off his stool. His heart was beating too quickly in his chest, the thump, thump, thump filling his ears so that his own voice sounded muffled.

"What?"

"Obviously you somehow messed this up, I told you not to touch anything unless I told you to," Malfoy continued as he placed the vial down hard on their desk. Harry flinched, considering how much force Malfoy had used it was a wonder the thing hadn’t shattered into pieces.

"I didn't do anything Malfoy, you must have messed up. So much for your claim of being able to brew this in your sleep."

Malfoy opened his mouth, most likely to shout at Harry more and place the blame on him because of course Malfoy was perfect and could do no wrong despite all the evidence to the contrary. Harry didn’t get to discover what colourful insult he had come up with this time because Snape chose that moment to appear before them. Snape's beady black eyes and permanent frown made it clear that he wasn’t pleased about having to deal with them, but he always looked like that, at least where Harry was concerned.

"What seems to be the issue?"

Harry and Malfoy shared a look; both of them glaring daggers but knowing Snape wouldn’t listen to him, Harry stayed quiet. His teeth biting down on his tongue, so he didn’t lose Gryffindor any house point for being cheeky.

"The potion isn't working Professor, Potter ruined it somehow."

Harry crossed his arms and muttered under his breath that it was not his fault and Slytherin gits should shut up. His resolve to stay quiet crumbling at Malfoy’s stupid and untrue accusation.

Snape raised an eyebrow but for once didn’t call Harry up on his comment and instead looked into their cauldron, his lips pressed into a thin line. After a moment he straightened back up his lip curling into a sneer of disdain.

"There is nothing wrong with the potion, Mr Malfoy. Now, one of you needs to test it to receive your final mark."

"We both tested it, but nothing happened," Harry said as he waved a hand towards Malfoy. If Snape was going to give them detention for failing then he wanted to make sure Malfoy suffered too.

"Nothing....," Snape paused before pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head slightly.

"Professor?" Malfoy said softly with a hint of nervousness. Harry didn’t know what to make of Snape’s reaction either, and he shifted on his stool while he waited to see what happened next.

"Mr Malfoy, can you tell me under what circumstances a love potion will fail to work?"

Harry turned and watched with confusion as Malfoy’s face slowly turned red. It started at his unbuttoned shirt collar and travelled higher until it reached the tips of his ears. Now more puzzled than before Harry frowned at Malfoy and his bizarre reaction, waiting for him to answer before losing his patience.

"What?" he snapped when the silence stretched on for too long.

Malfoy was now staring at the floor and refusing to speak or meet Harry’s eyes. With no other choice Harry turned to Snape, his confusion evident on his face and a tiny bit of fear churned his stomach. It must be bad, really bad if it could make Malfoy shut up.

Snape sighed and pointed to a footnote in the potions book still open on the desk between them. Harry pushed up his glasses as he leaned forward to read the small writing, having to strain his eyes in the dim torchlight.

_ 'This potion will be rendered useless if the subject already harbours romantic interest in the target.'_

Harry read the note three times, but even then, he had trouble understanding. It wasn't so much the words which were very easy to understand, but the meaning of them that was making Harry's chest tighten as his heart jumped around in panic.

Snape had wandered away, muttering in dismay at them under his breath. Harry didn't dare look up and instead sat in silence for the rest of class, trying to even out his breathing, so he didn’t pass out. A thousand thoughts spun around in his head with a few returning to make several loops, the main ones being ‘_I don’t like Malfoy_’ and ‘_this means he likes me’_.

As the bell rang out signaling the end of lesson and Harry’s ordeal he rushed to gather up his things. Without meaning to he peeked over at Malfoy, and their eyes met for a second before Malfoy looked away, the tiniest hint of a smile on his face.

_ It was kinda cute,_ Harry thought before the panic returned and he headed straight for Hermione. He needed help, preferably from some with their head screwed on right and who could tell him how to deal with boy problems.


End file.
